Track for track laying wheels



J. KUCHAR Sept. 1 1936.

TRACK FOR TRACK LAYING WHEELS 3`Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 6, 1952 @Eden 8752":

sept.- 1, 1936. J. KUCHAR 2,053,088

TRACK FOR I RACK LAYING WHEELS Filed May 6, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZ j@ 15 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z7 2l Z3 J. KUCHAR TRACK FOR TRACK "LAYING WHEELS Filed May 6, 1952 Sept. l, 1936.

'2/0 j Z a )77cm S' Patented Sept. 1, 1936 rRAcKFoR TRACKLAYIG.vvintisns4 .o'sephr'luchan Chicago, ULi-assigner torForgeil' v j v Trai; Co.,V Chicago, Ill., a Acorporation of Dela-` 3 Claims. (01.'30510'.

. This invention relates,to-tracks1fortrack laying wheelswhich areadapted yto be laid on the ground top rovide support for avehicle, and to be raised continuously as the vehicle' proceeds. Theinvention particularly relates tor tracks `comprising a series of articulated track elements, `adjacent track elements being adapted to-be trussed oneto the other so as to provide a beam `or-bridg'e which is-rigid aganstdisplacement in lone direction and .which is fiexible with respect vto displacement vin the opposite direction.

One of the objects of the invention is top rovide an improved track. f

A. further object of the invention is-.to provide an improved track elementp Y f A further objectof the invention is to provide an improved assembled-track; member and an improved truss arm assembly. f

Other .objects, advantages and capabilities of 2 the `invention will hereinafterappear inthe fol.-

lowing description yof a,:preferred embodiment thereof, vtaken' in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,V in which Figure lisa side elevation of a truss wheel yembodying. my invention;

{Fig} 2 is afragmentary cross-sectional view. on a largerscale, taken onthe 1ine-2-v-2 of Fig. 1-; f Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthetrack, partly in; section takenon the line 3--3 of Fig.` 2; AFig. 4 is aside elevation ofa portion of the track, showing the construction thereof in greater detail than'isshown in Fig. Land .on a larger scale: i l Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view ,taken on the line 5.- 5 .`of Fig.,3, and.

Fig 6 is 'aninverted pland'etail taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5. 1 1

Referring tothe drawings, the improved track I0 is shownas part of a truss ,.wheel, This truss wheel comprises va'beam .II' which is pivotally mounted on..an axle I2 at its center. At either -end the beam II.. carries bearings I3`for axles I4 which project outwardly fromthe beamat either side.` Wheels I tare keyedtothe axle Iliat each endl Thevperiphries of thefwheels I5 are adapted toengagewith portions of the track, which provide a rail orfsupport forsaid wheels in the manner hereinafter more-fully described.

.i The track I0 is const' uted bya continuous series ofl articulated elements IV6Which are pivotaily connectedtogether` so thatthe samemay accommodate themselves around the wheels V in the manner shownV in Fig. lg.v Means are provided so that each=track element may be trussed .55 to theadiacent track elements -in-such a manner that the tra in one direction andY is exible and readil'yberit in the other direction. vrThe rigidity `'referred to is important in the portion of the track located below and between the two pairs Vof wheels I5,

this portion-acting as van` inverted bridge and distributing. over` ajlarge area the vload-'applied by Eachtrack element.,comprisesl a shoeplate I1 which may tbe formed of forged steel,` rolled steel or other ysuitable material.; Each A-plate -l 1: may be. provided with;transvers e, grousers or ribs I8. `At itsA for-vvardfv and lrearward edges the plate I1 -is provided withcurved f'surf aces :which cooperate vwith complementarysurfacesupon the adjacent shoe plates in the mannershownfin Figs; 1 and 4. on veach side each shoe;plate I1 has secured Atheretoa linkgelement I9 which will now be described.. Thelink l"element lI9 preferably' is a .forging of the structure andv conguration shown 4inthe drawings. The `link element 'I9 is provided withfhubs 20, 2l which arestaggered `trans- .verse1y in ythe longitudinal directionso that 'the outerfaceof the hule 20 is in substantial longitu- .dinal alignment with VVthe inner face of the f hub 2 I ,l as willmore readily'be understood with-reference to Fig. 3 The hubs.20and 2| are connected vJoya sloping vverticalweb :22.jwhich is 'provided at its loweredge wit-hfa-.hor-izontal' web23 ,andat its upper edge with a horizontal web 24. The base web 23, is provided on its upper side with bosses 25 which are provided' withopenings .whereby the linkrelement may lie-secured tothe shoe plate by means. Qffbolts- 26- ckisrigidwhen subjected to 10aa fat - Theupper surface oi'the web 24 is machined fag to.provide. aflat face 21.1 will hereinafter appear, the fiat faces-210i the aligned links prvide-a trackor rail for the wheels I5, vwhich track or rail is laid down in front of the wheels and is taken up after-the last wheels have passed over it. Onthe` inner. side ofthe surface?! the link element I9 is providedwith an upwardly extending arm 28,I which may suitably be la web fsubstatiallyv triangular appearancev The arm .28 extends upwardlyand is curved inwardly as'shown in Fig. 2 and is provided at its` upper end or apex with a'hub 29, the axis of which is preferably located .half way between the hubs 20'and 2l and at a. substantial distance thereabove.

' The.hubsZQ of each opposite pair of link elements I9` are connected byfsleeve's 3I which .have

adrive fit therein, and extend slightly therebeyond Eon' either side so that 'in Aassembled condition said ends projectint the hubs` 2| which are counter- :bored to' receive them. Pins32 havea drive fit in links extend in the opposite direction. The l.

remote end of the link 34- is provided with a slot 36. The remote ends of the links 35 are provided with an opening 31 which receive a pin 38 with a drive fit. The pin 38 passes through the slot 36 of the link 34 of the adjacent track element.

On its under or outer side each link 35 is provided with a. projection 39 and the link 34 is provided with lateral ears which project intoV the path of the projections 39 and are adapted to engage therewith. It willreadilylbe seen'from Fig. 5 that when the track is below and betweenthe vpairs of wheels I5 the pins 38 are in the ends of the slots 36 remote from the pins 33 on which the links 34 are mounted. The effective lengths of the links 34 and 35 are such that the under' portion of the track shown in Fig. 1 is eilectively trussed and acts as an inverted bridge or beam so as to distribute the load upon a large area. When the track begins to go around the wheels I5 the pins33 approach each other and the pins 38 moveV somewhat towardsthe inner end of the slots`3|i so that the projections 39 andV ears 40 cause the links 34 and 35` to pivot about the pins 38, these pins moving downwardly or outwardly in .the manner shown in Fig. -1.

In assembling 'the track two opposite link elements I9 are placed on either side of a sleeve or bushing 3| and are pushed inwardly so as to enter the bushing into the hubs 20 so as to prol'ject therebeyond to the desired extent. lA pin 32 is then passed through the sleeve 3| and a further pair of opposite links I9 are then applied to the assembly with the hubs 2| in alignment with the hubs 20 of the assembly, and with their hubsg20 in Valignment with a further sleeve 3|. nThe last 'said links are then pressed inwardly so as to enter the last saidsleeve 3| into their hubs 20 so as to project therefrom at each end and so as to press theirhubs 2| on the ends of the pin 32 so as to bring `the projecting ends of the rst said sleeve 3| into the counterbores of the hubs 2 I.

This'manner of assembly is continued until a track of desired lengthrhas been assembled. 'Ihe link elements I9 are-bolted to the shoe plate I1 at anytime after their assembly upon the sleeves 3| and pins 32. The links 34 and 35 may be assembled in'uni'ts by pressing two link sV 35 onto a pin 38 which is iirst passed through the slot 36 of a link 34. The link units 34, 35 may be assembled on'the rtracksimultaneously with or subsequent to the assembly of the link elements I9 upon the sleeves 3| and pins 32. I'hat is during this assembly the link elements I9 may be pressed inwardly upon a pin 33 which is rst passedA through the openings in a'pair of links 35 of one link unit and the opening inthe link 34 of another link unit.' or the link units may be located with their openings in alignment with the hubs 29 and the pin 33`forced inwardly therethrough from one yside. It'is obvious that the manner of assembly -maybe modified in various ways and'that 'the 'links 34,' 35 and the pins 33 may be removed and replaced without dissembling the remainder of thetrack; The 'sleeve 30 at the extremity of the and links 34 of adjacent truss link units.

track is shorter than the sleeves 3| so that it does no project beyond the outer faces of the hubs 2D. In applying the track to the wheels I5 rings 4I are placed in the counterbores of the hubs 2| at the extremity of the track and the hubs 20 are slipped in between the hubs 2|. A pin 3| is slipped through the aligned hubs 20 and 2| and through the sleeve 30', the pin 3 I having a working t in the hubs 2 I. To maintain thelpin 3 I in position cotter pins 42 are passed therethrough as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The truss elements are vconnected in series by passing a pin 33 through the hubs 29 of one of the extreme track elements so as to pass through the openings in links 35 The pin 33 is slightly smaller than the pins 33 so it may pass `freely through the hubs 29. The pin 33 may beheld in position by cotter pins 43 which we have passed through the hubs 29 and suitable openings in the pins 33. V y

- It will readily be understood that I have provided a track which can be easily applied to and removed from the wheels I5 and which canreadily be repaired by replacement of parts without dissembling thecomplete track. This manner of repair is particularly applicabler to the links 34 and 35'and to the pins 33 and 38 which take the most of the wear. However, it is also applicable to other portions of the track, for example the shoe plate I 'I may very easilybe removed and replaced when wear or injury rendersit necessary. Y v Y Althoughthe invention has been described in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, 'it Ymust beunderstood that such details are notv intended to be limitative of the invention except in so'far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my/invention, what I claim asV new and desire to secure by Letters Patentfof the United States is: Y

1. A track comprising la series of track elements, each element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, pins and bushings having a pressed't in the link elements connecting each pair of links together, the pins extending through the bushings to`connect links lof the track pivotally together in series, an arm extending inwardly from each link element, means having a pressed lit in `said arms', and links pivotally mounted thereon and extending therefrom in both directions, said links being secured to the links of thel adjacent track elements so as to permit relative pivotal movement.

of4 longitudinal alignment, pins and bushings having a pressed t in said hubs, the pin of one Ytrack element extending through the bushing of an adjacent track element securing the link elements of the track elements pivotally together in series, truss arms ,extending inwardly from said link elements and provided attheir upper end with hubs, transverse pins having a pressed fit in said hubs, links pivotally mounted on said pins and extending in both directions therefrom, and pins having a pressed fit in certain of' said links and a working t in the other links Vconnecting said links together in series Yaround the track.

3. A track comprising a series of track ele'- ments', each Yelement comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, said link elements being provided with transverse hubs located out of longitudinal alignment, a sleeve having a pressed it in a pair of said hubs, a pin having a pressed iit in the other pair of hubs and extending with a working t through the sleeve of an adjacent track element, an inwardly extending truss arm carried by each link element provided at its upper end with a hub, pins having a pressed t in each of said hubs connecting each pair of truss arms together, a link pivotally mounted on each of said pins and extending therefrom in one direction, said link being provided with a slotted end, a pair of links, one mounted on each side of the iirst said link and pivotally mounted on said pins, said links being provided at their ends with openings, pins having a drive t in said openings and extending through the slot of a link of the adjacent track element, and abutments on said links adapted to cause the same to break outwardly when the track is bent.

JOSEPH KUCHAR. 

